“Cultures of Rejection” brings together research teams from five European countries. Its objective is to comprehend the polarization and radicalization of society that has recently taken place, as well as the accomplishments of right-wing movements and parties in Europe. Find out more details via their website: Cultures of Rejection

The wave of migration to Europe in 2015 gave rise to right-wing movements and parties across Europe. The transnational research project “Cultures of Rejection” takes a closer look at what role racism played in the interpretation of the crisis and how other societal grievances fed into a rise in xenophobic politics. The project draws parallels between the different cultures of rejection within each of the countries. The rise in support for right-wing movements and policies goes beyond a “simple” xenophobic position informed by a potential lack of cultural understanding or fear of other cultures. “Cultures of Rejection” as a project goes exactly beyond this understanding and draws a larger picture. Giving attention to these socio-psychological and historical factors behind this development is crucial for our understanding of future support for right-wing policies, such as we can see already being pushed in policy fields such as migration and security. Highlighting this project reiterates the importance of transnational cooperation and analysis of the same phenomenon. Keeping our analysis of right-wing and other extremist movements is important, yet only through comparison can we understand dynamics at play and enable cooperation to counter these developments effectively. We congratulate the entire team behind “Cultures of Rejections” for their incredible work and the insights it lends to all of us. 

Video Series: “Cultures of Rejection” – How Right-Wing Politics is Made Acceptable in Europe.

CuRe describes the video series as followed:

What role does racism play in the interpretation of crises? How are changes in the world of work related to the rejection of migrants? The transnational research project “Cultures of Rejection” investigates the conjuncture of right-wing politics in five European countries connected by the migration route of 2015. Researchers have examined how rejection of migrants, democratic institutions, political actors, broadcast media and more has become acceptable.
In collaboration with filmmakers and designers, a short film of the same name has now been produced that guides viewers through the research questions and results of the project. The film is now available in full length on the project’s social media channels (Twitter & Youtube) and website. In the following weeks, the seven parts that make up the film will also be released as individual videos.
The film not only presents the project’s research approach, which takes into account the changes in work and everyday life in different contexts, but also highlights, among other things, the growing political disillusionment in the current situation and new developments that have emerged during the pandemic. In doing so, “Cultures of Rejection” shows that the political right is actively trying to circumvent old forms of politics and raises the question of what other politics could meet the challenges of our time.